Wolf On the Wind
by everfaraway
Summary: "Every night she would go outside and howl like a wolf... It was almost like she needed to let someone know where she was, someone who would know what the howl meant and how to find her." Warnings inside.
1. Chapter 1

Howling To The Moon

_**Author: I blame way too many Merrick/Shayla vids on utube for this. However I must admit I was inspired by  
another author here on . After having read "Time Froze" by DancingWithPeacocks & having seen  
the video for it on utube way too may times, I finally decided to jot this down. Thank you. I know it's short, so  
sue me but there is more to come. There is mentioned fem slash. I own Anima & Ruby. R&R plz!**_

Her day usually started something like most other college students. She would crawl out of bed, step into the shower, dress, grab breakfast, sling her guitar onto her back, grab her books and head off to class. Except today started a bit different. She didn't wake up with her alarm going just after dawn, in fact she was up long before it went off. A dream woke her in the wee hours of the morning, not one of the nightmare that she could go back to sleep after. This was a dream that kept her awake with questions that she didn't know and couldn't find the answers to. So unable to get back to sleep, she got out of bed and settled on the window sill. "Baby?" a soft voice called. She didn't answer, too lost in her own thoughts to have heard. It was a soft hand on her shoulder that pulled her back to reality.

"Hey." she whispered. Her girlfriend, Ruby, had a look of concern on her face.

"What's wrong baby? You look like something's eating you." Ruby asked.

"Just thinking. I had a weird dream." she admitted.

"One of the nightmares about your parents?" the other asked.

"No. Just something really weird. Don't worry about it and go back to sleep. You've got that exam later." she told her.

Ruby rolled her eyes and muttered, "Yeah. That'll be fun." Both girls laughed and then she asked, "You coming back to bed?"

"Probably not. I think I'll go for a walk, the night air usually clears my head." she said.

Ruby leaned down to kiss her cheek and whispered, "Love you Anima."

Anima smiled and said, "Love you too." With that Ruby crawled back into bed and Anima got off the windowsill. She pulled her dark brown leather jacket on over her blue shirt with a white wolf on it and tugged on some jeans. A pair of gloves and boots followed before she picked up her guitar that went everywhere with her. Her cell phone got dropped in her jacket pocket with her wallet, keys and a small knife. Silently she slipped out of the small apartment she shared with her girlfriend and headed for the college campus.

Turtle Cove University was a big campus but had plenty of open areas so she never got claustrophobic. Her parents, who had both been veterinarians, had intended for her to go to college to continue the family business. After excelling in track and music in high school she had gotten a decent scholarship for college. At the university she became well known for her musical talent, good grades, love of wolves and of course, her track record. Despite that she tended to keep herself with the exception of her beautiful girlfriend.

Finally she reached the hill on campus she loved the most; it was high, grassy and she could see most of the campus from the top. Setting down her guitar she cupped her hands around her mouth, threw back her head and let a howl bubble out of her throat. It was a habit she had developed as a child. Every night she would go outside and howl like a wolf, but sadly she never knew why she howling just that she felt like she needed to. It was almost like she needed to let someone know where she was, someone who would know what the howl meant and how to find her.


	2. Chapter 2

Running Without A Pack

_**Author: I own nobody but Anima. I wish I owned Merrick. If anyone is out of character, sorry. This was  
written during & after a night without any sleep. Read, enjoy & plz review.**_

Shayla brushed a stray of hair from her face. "Good morning everyone." she beamed as she walked up to her five young rangers.

"Good morning Princess." they said, a few still sleepy.

"I've got to get going. I promised to help Kendall at the flower shop first thing today." Danny said, pulling on his jacket and finishing his coffee.

"Bye." Cole yawned.

"Bye Princess." he said, hugging her before running off.

"Be careful." she called after him. He waved to show he heard as he disappeared from sight.

Alyssa ruffled Cole's hair playfully and asked, "Princess?"

"Yes Alyssa?" she asked.

"Is Merrick going to eat here or did he already leave?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. He didn't say after we performed for the Deer Zord." she admitted.

"Think I saw him earlier, headed off towards the waterfall." Max muttered, resting his head on his arms. The Animarium didn't have plumbing but it did have pools and waterfalls for them to clean up in. They tended to shower under the waterfalls but relax in the pools. Shayla did what she could to make sure that the Rangers were happy there.

"Would you like me to stay?" came a deep voice from around the corner. Merrick emerged a second later, pulling his jacket on over his white short sleeve shirt.

"Did you sleep well?" Shayla asked.

"Yes, thank you." he said, as Alyssa handed him a mug of coffee. The usually anti-social man had a bit of a soft spot for the White Ranger.

"Please stay." Shayla asked. He gave her a rare smile and went to sit down.

"Danny left already?" he asked, helping himself to breakfast.

"He promised Kendall he'd be at the flower shop to help out this morning." Taylor said, walking up as she pulled her hair into a ponytail. At that moment a howl tore through that air. Cole's head jerked up and he looked out towards the hills where the Zords lived.

"It's my growl phone Cole." Merrick told him, getting up to answer it. "Hello?" he asked, putting it to his ear.

"Hope I didn't wake you up." Willie's voice said.

"No I've been up for a bit. Eating breakfast actually." he said, biting into an apple.

"Sorry to interrupt that but I was wondering if you could come in early?" the older man asked in a tone that sounded off.

"I was planning on it anyways. But sure, something wrong?" he asked. The other Rangers and Shayla looked worried; they all knew Willie and knew that man meant a lot to Merrick.

"Some stuff's supposed to be coming in soon and I need your help moving them inside and putting them up. I'd do it, but I think I messed up my back last night pushing a table around after hours." Willie admitted.

Merrick shook his head, knowing how hard it had to be for Willie to admit he might have hurt himself. "How soon do you want me there?" he asked.

"Soon as you can get here." he told him.

"Give me about 30 minutes." the wolf ranger said.

"Thanks Merrick." the older man said.

"See you in a bit." he told him, before hanging up.

"Is something wrong?" Shayla asked.

"Willie thinks he hurt his back moving a table after I left last night. He needs me there soon." Merrick explained. Alyssa glanced at her watch and yelped.

"It's later than I thought, I need to go." she said, grabbing her bag.

"Where are you going?" Merrick asked.

"Turtle Cove University." she said, pausing a few feet away. He took a last drink of coffee, finished the apple and motioned for her to follow.

"Wolf Zord!" he shouted into the wind. A howl answered him and a few seconds later, the Zord appeared. He reached up to pet the Zord and said, "We need a ride." The Zord growled softly & shifted into a blue motorcycle with silver wolves painted on it. Shayla came down to see them off.

"Bye Princess." Alyssa said, settling herself side-saddle behind Merrick.

"Have a good day." she said, before turning to Merrick. He brushed his hair from his face and gave her a small smile.

"Stay safe." he whispered, resting his cheek against hers. Their relationship was on and off again: they could be fine for days or weeks at time and then he would get painfully reminded that he was supposed to be her protector, at which point they would split up again.

She kissed his cheek, touched the gas tank of the motorcycle and whispered, "Look after him." A long growl came from the tail pipe.

"Let's go Wolf." Merrick said as Shayla stepped back. Alyssa slid her arms around his waist, careful to keep her legs as far from the tail pipe as possible. Merrick smiled, not because of the pretty young woman sitting behind but because of the wind whipping across his face and body. The White Ranger smiled at how content the loner seemed. Within ten minutes he brought the bike to a stop at one of the buildings. "This it?" he asked.

"The one behind it, but you can't get back there on the bike." she told him.

"Easy." Merrick whispered as the bike growled at the possible challenge.

She laughed, gave the bike a pat amd said, "Thanks Merrick."

"Call if you can't get a ride amd don't want to walk." he said, turning the bike around to leave.

"Is that your boyfriend Alyssa?" a girl asked as she walked up.

"No he's a friend, kinda like my big brother." Alyssa scolded her gently. Merrick shook his head and took off, opening up the throttle as he did. The bike howled underneath him, content with the speed that would possibly get them stopped by a cop. That was only if Merrick didn't know the roads well, which he did. He had ridden the roads that the other Rangers frequented more times than he could count. Of course the others didn't know that because it was always late at night when he couldn't sleep. Usually it was nights within weeks before he got back with Shayla, nights that something with her scent on it didn't comfort him. He leaned over the gas tank as he rode to enjoy the ride. Five minutes to ten minutes later, he parked the bike just down the dirt road from the Roadhouse.

"Go on, but stay close if I need you." he told the Wolf Zord. The motorcycle returned to it true form and the Wolf Zord bounded off.

Later that afternoon Alyssa paused at the track as she walked by to watch. As usual the track team seemed to be doing practice runs. She cocked her head and walked up to get a better look. There was only one person running, a young woman close to her age. "Who is that?" she asked the nearest person.

"That's Anima. She's the fastest girl on the team, even runs better times than some of the guys. The coach is timing her to see if she breaks her own record again." the girl said.

"Oh..." she began before cheers broke out. The young woman came to a stop nearby but Alyssa couldn't get a good look at her before the crowd surrounded her.

At Wilie's Merrick had just tossed a bag of trash into the dumpster when a howl tore through the air. He turned towards the source of it and saw his Wolf Zord up on a hill several miles away. "What is it Wolf?" he asked. The Zord howled again, except this time it was a long drawn out note that Merrick hadn't heard before. "What do you mean you smell another wolf? The wind hasn't said anything." he called. Wolf Zord gave itself a shake before it barked at him and disappeared. He shook his head & headed back inside.

"What was all that about?" Willie asked. The old man knew a majority of Merrick's secrets, except that he had attacked fellow Rangers on numerous occasions while under control of the Wolf Mask.

"Wolf Zord said he smelled another wolf, but I haven't picked anything up off the wind." he said.

"Think that girlfriend of yours might know something?"

Merrick leaned over a pool table and muttered, "Maybe I'll ask her later when she calls."

Willie chuckled and said, "You and she need to get hitched already." Merrick shot him a look before taking his shot that sent his three animal crystals bouncing off the sides of the table before rolling into two corner and one side pockets.


	3. Chapter 3

Mates

_**Author: I blame youtube tribute vids for getting me into one of the pairing I wrote. I own Anima & Ruby along with  
the few namesless charcters. Pairings: MerrickxShayla, OcxOC (fem slash) & EricxTaylor. Graphic sex btwn the last  
pairing. No like no read, you were warning so no flames. And plz people review! I have 3 chapters up including this  
one & no reviews!. Enjoy anyways. Sorry if Eric is out of character, I don't remember him that well.**_

The day was long for everyone: Danny at the flower shop, Merrick at Willie's, Max at the bowling alley where he spent time practicing and being coached by his old teacher, and Cole who volunteered at a local animal shelter. Shayla had napped part of the afternoon but spent the rest out with the animal Zords.

Alyssa spent most of her day in class until later afternoon when she could finally go home. "Hey!" one of her friends called.

"Hi, what's up?" she asked.

"Come here." the other girl said, dragging her into one of the open areas.

"What...?" she began before her friend hushed her and pulled her down to sit on the grass.

"...Open yours ears and listen to the wind, throw your head back and sing to sky, howl til your heart mends."

Alyssa blinked at the young woman singing and playing guitar just a few feet away. "I thought she ran track." she whispered.

"You know her?" her friend asked.

"No I saw her earlier on the track. Somebody said the coach was trying to see if she could break her own record." she explained not taking her eyes off her. The young woman called Anima was beautiful: with a slight tan and had shoulder length black hair with odd silver streaks in it. She wore no makeup that Alyssa could see but had on a tank top with a couple of wolf pups on it with a pair of torn up jeans and boots. _"She's so beautiful."_ she thought.

Anima brushed a strand of her hair from her face and glanced at the crowd. It was about two dozen people, students and teachers mixed, which was pretty common. Everyone applauded as her eyes settled on one girl who was staring. She had short black hair, a dark tan, dark eyes and had on a pink shirt, white jacket and a black skirt. "Hey baby." Her head swung around and she smiled at Ruby.

"How your test go?" she asked.

"I think I did good." Ruby said, kissing her.

Alyssa blushed as she turned away. The girl who had come up to Anima, her girlfriend, was beautiful with short red hair, bright green eyes, a gold short sleeve shirt and black skirt. "I need to go." she told her friend just before walking away.

"I'm back!" she called.

"Welcome home, how was school?" Shayla called.

"Fine... do we have company?" she asked, pausing to glance at a duffle bag and gunny sack that she didn't recognize.

"We can move them if they're in the way." Taylor said from where she sat next to Eric.

"Oh hi." she said, going over to greet the Silver Guardian.

"Hey." Eric said, giving her a brief one armed hug since his other arm was around Taylor.

"How'd your test go?" Cole asked.

"I think it went fine, I'll know for sure in a day or two for sure." she said.

"What course?" Eric asked. He got along well enough with his girlfriend's fellow Rangers and tried to learn about them each time he visited or called.

"World history. Is anyone hungry?" she asked, setting her bag down.

"We were going to go out and grab some food for everyone after Merrick gets back." Taylor said.

"He shouldn't be long. I spoke with him earlier and he said close to 6pm." Shayla told them.

Eric turned his wrist a bit so Taylor could see his watch and she said, "It's almost 6 now."

"Does he know Eric's here?" Max asked.

"Yes, I told him. He sounded very tired when I talked to him earlier." Shayla whispered.

"It's been a long day." said Ranger muttered as he came into view. He dropped down in one of the chairs and rested his head on the table. Shayla sat next to him and gently ran a hand through his hair.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

"Haven't really eat, grabbed a snack at the road house." he muttered,

"Look through one of these and figure out what you want, Taylor and Eric offered to pick up food for everyone." she told him. He lifted his head and thumbed through the menus with the other Rangers.

After Taylor and Eric returned with dinner for everyone they all settled down to eat. "Try." Shayla told Merrick holding up a piece of sushi for him between her chopsticks. The other rangers smiled as he allowed her to feed it to him.

"It's not bad, takes a bit of getting used to." he admitted after swallowing. She smiled and kissed him. The rest of dinner was passed in laughter, smiles and jokes which was typical of any Ranger team. All of them had become a mismatched family, even the loner Merrick. When he finished eating Cole got up and headed down the stairs.

"Cole?" Shayla called.

"Come on!" he shouted back. All the Rangers got up and followed him into the clearing and heard what he had. All of the Zords were howling, roaring, keening, etc..

"What's gotten into them?" Danny asked.

"Nothing, they're just all really happy." Cole answered as he listened to them. The wind blew through Merrick's hair as the Wolf, Hammerhead and Alligator Zords all cried out into the night.

"Do you work tommarow?" Shayla asked.

"No Willie gave me the day off since I came in so early and stayed late." he told her.

"How's his back?" Max asked.

"Fine, he wasn't in much pain before I left. We think he just pulled a muscle." he explained.

Shayla snuggled against him and whispered, "You will stay with me won't you Merrick?"

"If that is what you wish Princess." he said.

"It is." she breathed.

Max, Alyssa, Cole and Danny tossed down their pallets and quickly fell asleep. Merrick watched as Shayla went to each of them, tucking blankets close to make sure they stayed warm enough. He glanced towards the stairs where he had slept often when he first started coming to the Animarium, where he could see the archway then again at the sleep foursome. They were all still very young, puppies and nothing more. "Come Merrick." Shayla whispered. He took her hand and kissed it. He would willingly obey almost any order she gave. "Goodnight Taylor, Eric." she said, looking in their direction.

"Goodnight Princess, Merrick." Taylor called from just out of sight.

"Night." Eric said. They had decided to set up a tent a ways away from the other Rangers so they could have their privacy.

"Sleep well." Merrick said as he allowed Shayla to lead him into the temple. Once in private she slid her arms around his neck and kissed him. "You missed me today?" he teased against her lips.

"I miss you whenever you're away." she told him. One of his hands went around her waist and the other buried itself in her hair. Her hands slid down his chest to peel his jacket down from his broad shoulders. He scooped Shayla off the ground easily and carried her deeper into the temple. If he was going to have his mate, he was going to have her in complete and total privacy.

"You showing up was a nice surprise." Eric said as flopped onto the air mattress.

"I figured you might want to come visit." Taylor admitted, crawling in on top of him.

"I actually was hoping we could stay at my place. No other Rangers to worry about and we'd get to sleep in a bed." he told her.

"They're family and I don't mind sleeping out here." she reminded him.

"I know." he muttered, running a hand through her hair.

"What's wrong?" she asked, laying on top of him.

"Just thinking." he muttered.

"What about?" came the puzzled response.

"Your world's really different from mine babe." he told her. She thought on this for several long moments and had to admit that he was right. While her biggest concern was making sure the team stayed together and trying to pick up the slack behind Cole, he risked his life daily with the Silver Guardians. A couple of tears stung her eyes; her biggest fear was getting a a call from Wes on her Growl Phone telling her that Eric was severely hurt or dead. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Just the thought of getting a call from Wes telling me something happened to you." she whimpered.

"Baby don't cry." he said, hugging her tightly.

She buried her nose in his neck for several minutes before she slid her arms around his neck and kissed him. He groaned quietly before pulling his shirt off. She dragged her nails gently down his chest, earning her a hiss of pleasure. His eyes darkened and he buried one hand in her hair while the other squeezed her hip. "Shirt." he hissed as he nipped her neck. Taylor obeyed, pulled the yellow short sleeve off to reveal a black bra. He reached around and fiddled with the clasp for a moment before it came free.

"I've missed you." she breathed as he tossed the last shed item of clothing aside.

"Missed you too." he hissed as he slid an arm around her back to support her so she could lean back a bit. She chuckled, knowing exactly what he wanted. His mouth found her breast as her hand buried in his dark hair. He flicked his tongue across her nipple, earning a moan, before moving to the other.

"God Eric." she gasped as heat rushed to her groin. He smirked and lay down, dragging her with him. She straddled his stomach and kissed him deeply as she reached behind her, feeling for his belt. He reached around her, arching to work at his belt and jeans. She licked a trail from his collarbone to just under his ear as he did, making it very hard for him to concentrate.

"Fuck baby." he moaned as he finally managed to get his jeans off.

"Haven't had you in over a month." she hissed, kissing her way down his chest. She loved him because he worked hard to stay in good shape. Something about a guy with washboard abs turned her on in every way. He groaned as her tongue flicked over his head.

"Taylor." he gasped, grabbing at the sheets on the air mattress. She glanced up as him and the look in his eyes made her groan in pleasure. He had a look of mixed lust and love on his face. "Come here." he growled. Slowly she crawled back up to where they were face to face, letting his erection brush her breasts and stomach. His hands went to work on her pants for a moment before they got shoved down with her black panties that matched the bra. She kicked them off, not caring where in the tent they ended up. His hands found her hips and he gave them a squeeze before impaling her on his manhood.

"Eric." she gasped as her head fell back. He was thick and long inside of her, to a point that if she took him to the hilt, he hit too deep in her and it hurt. Her muscles stung slightly as they adjusted to having her boyfriend inside of her. In the short six months they had been dating, they had only had sex twice before and she had always been on the bottom. The sensation was entirely different with all of her weight rested on his hips. There was also a sense of control, knowing that he could coax her to move all he liked but if she didn't want to, he couldn't make her even if he was inside of her.

Eric hissed in pleasure as his mind began to start shutting down. If it didn't have to do with pleasuring his girlfriend, it didn't matter right then. His hips arched once on their own accord before he forced the movement to pause. Last time they had be together, Taylor had admitted to wanting to be on top sometimes. So now he was trying to be fair and let her do what she wanted. "Baby." he whispered. Her head rolled forward and she looked at him with slightly glazed eyes. Then she smirked and allowed her muscles to clench him. He groaned as she did and set his hands on her hips.

"God Eric." she whispered.

"Oh.. Taylor, you're so beautiful." he moaned as she moved slowly.

"Hands above your head Quantum Ranger." she said. He looked at her with glazed eyes. "Hands above your head." she repeated and he curiously obeyed. She leaned forward to grab his shirt and tied his wrists with it. While she was leaning over him, he traced her collarbone with his tongue.

"I know you can get out of that easy. But don't." she told him.

"Yes ma'am." he said with a cheeky grin. She playfully slapped his cheek before she began to move.

Several long minutes later, Taylor's head tilted back and her mouth opened in a silent scream of pleasure as her muscles clenched around Eric's manhood. He stared at her, slipped his wrists free, held her hips tightly as he thrust into her a few more times and joined her in temporary bliss.. His spine arched and he just managed to choke back a cry of pleasure to a point that it sounded more like a growl.

Taylor's eyes fluttered open and she glanced around. At some point after she orgasmed, she had collasped and passed out. She shifted slightly, just enough to let Eric slip out of her body. "Did we pass out?" he murmured.

"I think so." she admitted.

He chuckled and said, "I'm not getting up to shower right now."

"Me neither." she agreed.

"Love you babe." he whispered.

"Love you too." she muttered before going back to sleep.

Merrick sighed and stared up at the temple ceiling. Shayla was asleep next to him, wrapped up in his robes that he had been wearing when he had been released from the tomb and gotten free from Zen-Aku. Slowly he slipped from of her arms and got his pants back on to step outside. Glancing around he saw that all four of the puppies were still asleep. He could smell sex drifting from Eric and Taylor's tent. Silently he slipped past the sleeping foursome and down the stairs to look out at the hills. "Everything alright?" a voice called softly. He glanced back to see Eric's head sticking from the tent.

"Fine just restless." he said.

"Let me know if you need help." the Time Force Ranger said, before slipping back into the tent. Merrick walked around the temple and pool for a few minutes longer, pausing only to check on the other Rangers. He adjusted Alyssa's blanket and tossed Max's back over him but then he returned to the temple where Shayla now sat awake.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No I was restless." he told her, as he layed back down. She curled up in his arms contently.


	4. Chapter 4

Wolf Nightmares

_**Author: I don't own anyone except the unnamed characters. Not for the weak of hearts. Mentions of rape, murder, blood, puking,  
short tempers, animal murder. If I missed anything sorry. But you have been warned so don't flame me. Thanks to the only  
person who left me a review but not a name. Plz review people! And I did read somewhere that Animus was once human nad is  
Shayla's big brother. If this is not true, don't be pissed off cuz I didn't know otherwise.  
**_

_It was impossible to catch any other scent besides that of blood. It was everywhere: the floor, the furniture, the walls. Paws found their way around the pools and throughout the home. Bodies were scattered through the house: two adults, four dogs and one cat: all dead. The scene was frightening and sickening. The alpha in the living room, shot 3 times in the chest. His mate in the kitchen, gagged and shot in the head after being raped. The two smaller dogs lay in the hall, tiny bodies torn to shreds from bullet wounds. The cat at the foot of the stairs, shown some mercy, dead from a broken neck. A large dog lay at the top of the stairs, shot in the head. Slowly the paws moved down the hall. The scent of blood wasn't as strong here. The murders were still in the home, two of them both males. A growl sounded softly in the air a scream erupted from the hall. _

_Paws rushed down the hall to the room where both males scents were. A second dog, shot in the head like it's companion, lay just inside the door. One man stood beside a bed while the other was crouched on the floor. A small girl, not quite out of puppyhood, was sobbing below him. She was bound with black cord as her blood pooled on the ground around her thighs. "Shut up you little bitch." the man snapped. She screamed again and it was echoed by a deep growl. _

_Teeth sank into one man's throat, closing off his air supply then with a loud snap, the neck was broken. The man by the bed was dead in a heartbeat. The other man, the one who was by the puppy, died much slower. Paws forced him away from his victim: worrying him, nipping at his wrists and ankles to draw blood each time. Each bite got harder and deeper, tearing more flesh and dripping more blood onto the floor. Gunshot rang out as the man tried to hit his attacker. The puppy, despite her pain, crawled out the door and into the hall. Each shot missed and he continued to bleed in larger amounts until finally the game grew boring. Teeth tore into the man's chest, sending blood spurting into the air. It splattered on the ceiling and onto the bed. _

Merrick sat up from where he lay beside Shayla. His stomach churned and bile rose in his throat. Immediately he rushed from the temple and threw up behind the nearest bush. The sound of retching alerted the other rangers to the fact that something was wrong. "Merrick?" Cole asked sleepily as he walking up behind the loner. As was agreed when any one except Shayla came up behind him, the lion stayed back several feet.

"What's wrong?" Taylor asked as she, Eric and the others came up.

"Don't know." Cole told her.

"He woke very suddenly, as if something had startled to him and ran from the temple." Shayla told them.

"Nightmare." Merrick panted, spitting out a mix of bile, saliva and a couple of tears. His throat burned but his stomach had settled.

"One of your own?" Shayla asked. He shook his head and kicked dirt over the smelly mess.

It took several minutes for him to calm down enough to sit down with the other Rangers but he finally did. He was shaky and tense as he allowed Shayla to touch him.

"It was strange, like I was seeing through the eyes of an animal." he muttered. Sensing his unease, the Wolf Zord howled from a distance in an attempt to soothe him. The wind blew through his hair, not the usual forcefully way it did when the others were in danger but a slight gentle breeze that moved a few strands of silver from his face.

"What happened?" Max asked, sliding a cup of water to him. Merrick gave the youngest puppy a nod of thanks before taking a long drink. Then he feel silent again, trying to figure out how to put what he had dreamed into words they could understand.

"I... it, whatever I was seeing through the eyes of, was in a house. There was blood everywhere. Someone had broken in. The father was in the living room with several bullets wounds. The mother was in the kitchen: gagged, raped then shot to death." he began.

Shayla gasped and put a hand to her mouth. Alyssa shivered as Cole, Danny and Max surrounded her to comfort her. Taylor betrayed nothing on her face but she slid closer to Eric, who put an arm about her tightly. He looked annoyed at the way this nightmare was beginning.

"There were a couple of smaller dogs in the hall between the kitchen and living room. There wasn't much left of them from the bullet wounds. There was a cat at the foot of the stairs, not shot for some reason, that had a broken neck. At the top was big dog, some sort of shepard, shot in the head. The animal could smell the two men who had broken into the home and as it went down the hall, the smell of blood wasn't nearly as strong. Then there was a scream." he whispered.

"What evil men." Shayla whispered. Cole hissed softly at the way the pets had been killed. He didn't like any kind of violence towards animals. The only killing of animals he agreed with was humane mercy killings of animals that were sick or injuried beyond help. Alyssa, Danny and Max were staring at him with fearful eyes. Taylor and Eric were exchanged looks of worry and anger.

"Down the hall there was a second dog, another shepard, just out a doorway. Both men were in the room, one by the bed and the other was crouched on the floor. There was a young girl, maybe 10, laid out on the floor below him crying, bound with black cord and laying in a pool of her own blood..."

"They raped her." Alyssa yelped, suddenly feeling ill herself. Merrick gave her a long, sad look before nodding. Eric growled and got up. He walked several feet away and ran his hands through his hair. Taylor watched him, knowing not to go to him until he had his temper under control again.

Eric groaned softly as he fought back his anger. He had an extremely strong sense of justice and an equal strong hatred for miscarriages of justice, rapists, murders, pimps and drug dealers. He had seen a lot of all of those things growing up in a shitty end of Silver Hills and without a lot of money. His muscles twitched as he forced himself to stay still. If he had been at home, he would have taken off to his basement gym to work out until he covered in sweat and exhausted. "Eric?" He glanced back and saw Taylor standing a good five or more feet away. She made sure to stay out of arms reach when he was angry. His temper had led him to accidently hitting a couple of he ex's who had tried to comfort him when he was angry and she knew this. She wouldn't take a step closer until he was calm.

"Come here." he whispered. She slowly closed the distance between them to wrap her arms around his waist. She buried her face in his jacket. "You okay?" he asked.

"Alyssa's crying and I'm rattled." she admitted. He looked over his shoulder to see that the other female ranger was being held by Shayla, Danny, Max and Cole. Merrick reached over and gingerly ran a hand through her hair.

"She's in good hands." he told her.

"Merrick said there's a little bit more. When u get calmed down and when Alyssa stops crying." she whispered.

"Another minute." he told her. She smiled weakly as he turned to face her. Her arms slid around his neck and his went around her waist. He buried his nose in her hair and she rested hers in his neck. She was shaky in his arms but other than that, she was okay. "Come on." he whispered.

Alyssa was wiping her eyes as they sat back down. Taylor gave her friend's hand a squeeze. "Sorry." the tiger ranger whispered.

"It's okay." Danny told her. She gave them all a slight smile before turning to Merrick.

"You said there was a bit more?" she asked carefully. He meet her eyes and nodded slowly.

"The man by the bed died almost right away. The creature went for a death bite, crushing his windpipe then breaking his neck. The other one died a lot slower. It forced him away from the girl: worrying him, nipping at the man's wrists and ankles. Each bite was harder than the last, drawing more blood and doing more damage. It was hunting him. The man tried to shoot the beast but each shot missed. Finally the game got boring and it went for the kill. It's teeth sank into his chest, tearing flesh away and sending blood flying." he said. Venom dripped from his voice. Despite how sick it had made him to watch it in his nightmare, he found himself enjoying telling the others the men got theirs in the end.

"What happened to the girl? And the creature after wards?" Max asked.

"She crawled away but I don't know beyond that. The creature..." he told them with a shrug.

"Do you think it was just a nightmare?" Shayla asked after several long moments of silence.

"I don't know. It seemed far too real to be a nightmare." the wolf ranger admitted.

"Is there anyway it could have been a premonition?" Cole asked.

"A vision of the future?" Merrick asked. The lion shrugged; it had been a thought after all.

"We could ask Animus." Shayla suggested.

"Would he know anything about something like that?" Merrick asked her.

"Seers existed long before our time." she told him, getting up and going to the pool. "Animus? May we speak with you?" she called into the water. It sputtered for a moment before calming as Merrick came up beside her.

"Hello Shayla, Wolf." the figure that appeared in the water said by way of greeting.

"Hello brother." Shayla said warmly.

"Prince Animus." Merrick said, bowing his head respectfully.

"Why do you wish to speak to me little sister?" Animus asked. Shayla looked at Merrick.

"May I speak freely Prince?" he asked. He was well adjusted to the modern world but old habits died hard. Especially when it came to the Princess and her brother.

Animus laughed and said, "Speak as much as you like Lunar Wolf. You are both my sister's guardian and consort now." Merrick smiled slightly and told Animus about his dream, leaving out no details.

"I do not know if this was just a nightmare. One of the other rangers suggested it might be premonition." he finished.

"I do not believe this will take place in the future. In fact I believe it has already happened." Animus admitted.

"But why would I being see it?" Merrick wondered.

"Have you any seer's blood?" the prince asked.

"Not that I know of. My father worked in the king's forges and my mother... died when I was very small." he admitted softly. Shayla squeezed his hand.

"Then perhaps you know this girl?"

"I was sealed in a tomb for the past 3000 years. If it happened to someone I know, it would have happened recently." he said.

"I did not say how long ago it might have happened in the past." Animus reminded him. "However if you have no seer's blood then you have a connection to the child in your dream." With that the water bubbled and spurted again before calming.

"Animus." Shayla and Merrick both said, looking down at the pool.


	5. Chapter 5

Dancing Under The Full Moon

_**Author: Sorry I haven't updated in so long. I've been sick, playing WoW & having slight computer problems.  
Anyways this chapter is inspired by having re-read the book Blood & Chocolate. I own Anima, Ruby & Ruby's  
parents. Brief nudity involved, but you don't see anything I promise. Thanks for all the reviews on my PR stuff  
and a big thanks to Temari's Angel for a 2nd review on this fic. I promise to update Beautiful Stranger soon.**_

_This is people's thoughts & wolf thoughts._

The moon would be full tonight, Merrick knew it. He could feel it: from the marrow of his bones to the tips of his hair. His skin tingled and his heart beat quicker than normal with the knowledge of what the night would bring. Full moons had effected him since he was a child over 3000 years ago. His father had once told him that he had been born on a full moon and instead of crying, the first sound he had made was something akin to a howl. When the sky grew dark and the moon shone her silver light upon him, every animal instinct he had would take over and he would become completely feral for one night.

"Go home Merrick." Merrick's head swung towards Willie, the old man who had taken him on at the Roadhouse so many months ago.

"What?" he asked, his deep voice rougher than usual.

"Go home, your mind isn't here today." Willie told him.

"Will you be alright running this place alone?" he questioned.

"I'll be fine, was running this place on my own for a while before you showed up." the old man reminded him.

Merrick nodded and pulled his silver and blue jacket on. "Take tomorrow off." Willie added from behind the bar.

"Will do, night Willie." he called before letting the door fall shut behind him.

Almost half an hour later, Cole turned his head as the Wolf, Hammerhead and Alligator zord's voices rose into the air. The Wolf's was the loudest, wildest sounding. "What is it Cole?" Taylor asked.

"Wolf, Hammerhead and Alligator are all talking but Wolf sounds strange." the red Wild Force Ranger muttered, still cocking his head.

"It will be a full moon tonight. You can already see it." Shayla told them. All heads turned upwards and they saw that she was right. The sky was painted dark shades of red, signaling that the sun would soon set and it would give way to the night.

"Do you think Merrick will be coming back here tonight?" Alyssa asked. She worried for everyone she cared for but had a soft spot for Merrick. He had shoved her away many times but had also opened up to her in the recent weeks.

"I had planned to come back even if it's for a short time." Merrick stepped out of the steadily growing shadows and into the dimming sunlight. The moon was already beginning to affect him: his eyes were a bright shade of gold and he moved like a predator stalking prey.

"Should you even be here Merrick?" Shayla asked, taking his hands in hers.

"I'll be fine, the sun hasn't even set." he said. She looked into his eyes searching for some sign of her protector and found it, buried deep under the feral instincts. "I'll leave when I can't control myself any longer." he assured her.

"Have you had dinner yet Merrick? It's almost ready." Alyssa asked.

"Not yet, thank you." he said, knowing the unspoken request. The little white tiger had always done her best to try to make him a part of the pack. He was still a loner but he had more or less allowed himself to be embraced by the others. His eyes roamed over each his pack mates. The lion was sitting with the shark and bison, talking and laughing. The eagle was sitting nearby with a book in hand while her mate sat at her side, running a hand through her hair lovingly.

"Merrick?" Shayla asked. He looked at her with his head slightly cocked. "Are you sure you're alright to be here?" she whispered.

"Yes." he told her, kissing her hair.

Dinner was the same as always: the ranger talked, laughed and joked while they ate. Merrick kept his wild side reined in until near the end of the meal when a loud screech from the Eagle Zord made him cringe. His senses had grown painfully acute in the half hour since the sun had set. "I need to go." he said, getting to his feet. All the Rangers looked up at him, seeing the shadow of his wilder side.

"Be safe." Shayla told him as they followed him to the staircase that led down to the lands surrounding the temple. He slipped out of his coat, keeping his back to them.

"Merrick." Cole said. Slowly he turned to look over his shoulder at the Lion. The look in Merrick's now gold eyes would have normally made anyone back away but not Cole. "If you need us, howl and I will hear you." the leader of the Wild Force Rangers told him.

"Right." he said, his voice little more than a growl now. He had always admired Cole for his kind heart and willingness to accept anyone who he knew had good intentions in their heart. "Sleep well and look after the Princess." he told them, looking at Cole, Taylor, Eric, Max, Danny, Alyssa and Shayla. He left his jacket in Shayla's arms and ran off into the darkness. Once he was out of sight, he paused just long enough to undress. There was a patch of black fur on his stomach and even as he stepped out of his jeans and boots, his body changed to match the call of his goddess. A howl tore it way free of his throat and in it was a single word that no human could ever dream of pronouncing. It was the word that his mother had taught him as a pup and the closest thing humans had to it was: loup-garou or werewolf.

Anima shoved a pillow over her face. She hated full moons because she could never sleep during them. To make it was worse: Ruby wasn't home. Her girlfriend had left town to visit her family for a bit and her family didn't exactly approve of her. They didn't mind their daughter being a lesbian but they didn't like the girl their daughter had decided to date. "Fuck you too." she groaned, climbing out of bed. She pulled on a pair of shorts and a tank top. Another thing she hated about the full moon was that it made her hot all over, like she was running a fever except she knew she wasn't sick. She put on her shoes and grabbed her keys before locking up. Her phone on the charger and nobody would be calling her at three in the morning. Her feet took her to the Turtle Cove College campus.

The night was pleasant: still and completely quiet. "This is the perfect night." she laughed as she stared up at the moon. She smiled and threw her head back to howl as she did every night, except tonight it was wild and deep.

"_Who is this girl that can howl just like a wolf but still wears human skin?"_ The black wolf watching her cocked it's head, one ear flopping down a bit as it did. The girl it was watching struck him as odd in more way than one: she howled like a wolf, smelled a bit like a wolf but wore a human skin under the full moon. _"You can not be one of my people. You do not exchange your girl skin for that of a she wolf. But you sing and smell like one of my people._" it thought. Instinct said to leave the human alone and move on but it found it could not. The moonlight danced across the girl's skin and reflected off both her golden eyes and the silver in her hair. The black wolf tilted it's head back, arched it's neck and howled with the girl. The howl started softly and rose in volume until it could be heard for miles on the wind.

Cole's eyes snapped open and he sat up quickly. "Merrick." he whispered, tilting his head a bit. He knew that deep, throaty howl just as well as he knew the Wolf's voice.

"What's wrong?" Alyssa whispered, from nearby.

"Merrick's howl woke me up." Cole told her.

"Is he alright?" she asked as she went to push back her blanket.

"He's fine as far as I can tell." he said. She crawled to the foot of her cot and crouched there.

"He sounds happy." she whispered. Cole nodded his agreement and in silence they laid back down.

Anima turned her head and fell silent. The other howl that had joined hers was that of an actual wolf. A moment after she fell silent it did too and stepped out of the shadows. Slowly she crouched on the grass so it might not be intimidated by her standing on two legs instead of appearing to be on four. "Wow." she whispered as it approached her.

"_You are a smart girl. You know the ways of the wolves."_ the wolf thought as it slowly walked up to her. She made a small sound, a soft whimper to say that she would not hurt it. _"You carry no weapon with which to harm me."_ it said silently as it made a sound that could only pass for laughter.

"Look at me, I'm a good wolf. I know how to be a good pack mate." Anima whispered as she dropped her gaze and showed her throat. She stayed still as the wolf walked a full circle around her, sniffing and nudging. Only when it stopped did she dare to look up. It's eyes were molten gold, it's fur black with some silver strands mixed in, it stood several inches taller than a normal wolf and weighed a bit more. "Am I accepted?" she whispered mixing her words with a whine of love.

"_You must have my people's blood in you somewhere."_ the wolf thought as it nudged her hand.

Anima turned her hand palm side up and let the wolf lick her. Gingerly she went to pet it and it immediately pranced away. "I'm sorry." she whimpered.

"_Stay close little wolf girl. I will find you in my human skin but you will not know me."_ the wolf thought as it ran off. It's long legs and powerful muscles took it far away as quick as the wind, leaving her crouched on the grass.

Anima stared after the wolf. Something about it felt familiar, like a friend she hadn't seen in years.

Many hours later Merrick stumbled up the stairs to the temple. He was exhausted from next to no sleep overnight and was sore. "Look what the wolf dragged in." Eric said.

"Be nice." Taylor said, smacking him on the chest. There was several glowing lights before Shayla appeared out of the pool with Merrick's jacket in hand.

"Are you alright?" she asked, coming over to him. His hair was sticking out at all angles and he looked considerably worse for wear. However she had seen him worse.

"I'm fine." he assured her. She hugged him gently, keeping in mind that he was sore. "I'll be fine, I just need to sleep for a while and eat." he promised quietly.

Anima whimpered as she rolled over. She had just gotten to sleep when she was assaulted by strange dreams that made no sense to her. There was a strange beautiful woman with dark hair and a man with brown gold eyes together in a meadow, talking & smiling. The first was dressed like royalty while the other looked like a warrior. She didn't recognize either and yet they both felt familiar, just like the wolf had earlier in the night. "Who are you?" she whispered. Slowly her eyes fluttered open and she sat up, covered in sweat. "I hate these weird dreams." she muttered, running a hand through her hair.

After eating and cleaning up Merrick curled up in a patch of sunlight to sleep. "Is he going to be alright?" Eric asked, as he tossed his gunny sack over his shoulder.

"He'll be fine. He just needs to sleep." Shayla told him.

"Thanks again for having me, it was fun but I've got to be getting back to Silver Hills." the Quantum Ranger said.

The other Wild Force Rangers said their goodbyes and sent well wishes for Eric to give to Wes. Taylor crouched close to Merrick and touched his shoulder gently. "I'm taking Eric home. I'll be back later." she whispered. The Wolf stirred briefly before cracking an eye open.

"Take it easy Merrick." Eric said, kneeling next to Taylor.

"Safe trip." he whispered before falling asleep again.


	6. Chapter 6

Eclipse

_**Author: Not named after the damn Twilight book. I just finished re-watching Wild Force for the I don't know how many-ith time.  
Anyways I don't own anyone but the Ranger & the Org (was there a bicycle org?). Thanks Mirokou for the help with a certain character. R&R**_

"Guess what guys, there's supposed to be a lunar eclipse tonight and Turtle Cove is supposed to be the perfect place to see it from." Alyssa said as she dropped down at the table.

"I know I'm staying up to see it." Cole immediately said.

"Me too." Max and Danny agreed.

"I will too, I saw one when I was little girl." Taylor told them.

"Do you think Merrick will be able to watch it with us Princess Shayla? It's also a full moon tonight." Alyssa asked.

"I'm not sure. I don't remember seeing Merrick during an eclipse. He always made himself scarce on the night of full moon." Shayla admitted.

"Hey, why don't we go out to Willie's and ask him." Max suggested.

Merrick's eyes flicked towards the door when it opened, admitting his teammates. "Hey Merrick." Cole said, coming over immediately. Alyssa, Max, Danny and Taylor headed towards the bar to get drinks.

"What's up Cole?" the wolf ranger asked, leaning over the pool table to take a shot. The red ranger motioned for his fellow ranger to shoot as he watched. Merrick gave a slight turn of his head that doubled as a shrug and took his shot. The cue ball catapulted off the side into the fourteen which bumped the six into the corner pocket before it settled against the edge.

"We wanted to come see if you'd be able to make it up to the Animarium tonight." Cole said as Merrick leaned his pool stick against the edge of the table.

"What's the occasion?" he asked.

"There's a lunar eclipse tonight." the Lion told him.

Alyssa glanced over her shoulder at Merrick who appeared extremely relaxed and docile especially since it was few hours before sunset on a full moon.

"He looks like he's okay." Danny said.

"How's he been today Willie?" Taylor asked.

"The calmest I've ever seen him around the full moon. We've been playing pool, talking, listening to music and cleaning up since yesterday and he's been pretty easy going. I even managed to get a couple of laughs out of him this morning. So I'd say he's in a pretty good mood." Willie said as he set two sodas and two bottles of water down on the bar for them.

"That's good because we were going to get him to come up to the Animarium to watch the lunar eclipse tonight." Alyssa told him.

"I don't think I'm gonna be staying up for it. Seen quite a few of them in my time kids, I can afford to miss one." the roadhouse owner told them warmly.

The foursome got up and went over to where Merrick and Cole were standing. "Will you be able to come and watch the eclipse even though it's a full moon?" Cole asked.

"I was born on a full moon during a lunar eclipse and it's never made me shift." Merrick admitted softly.

"Where did you get the ability to shift from?" Danny asked.

"My mother. Her people were what other humans call loup garou or werewolves. Except unlike the modern day legends they could change their skin willingly except on the full moon." he whispered as he settled on the edge of the pool table. He very seldom brought up his past or the people in it.

Cole noted the pain in his friend's voice and softly asked, "What happened to her?"

Merrick swallowed back the lump in his throat and muttered, "She passed away when I was about ten from an illness nobody caught until it was too late." He dropped his head as tears stung his eyes and blurred his vision. Then he was suddenly wrapped in warmth and five voices whispered comforting words to him. He let his head rest on Cole's shoulder and slid an arm gently around Alyssa's waist. His other arm wound up around Danny's neck and his hand gently touched the back of Taylor's neck. Max was close enough that Merrick could move just slightly and his shoulder would touch the blue ranger.

"Come with us up to the Animarium Merrick." Alyssa whispered in his ear. He nodded as they all slowly slipped away from him.

"Give me a couple of minutes to get cleaned up." he told them. He went upstairs, washed his face, changed clothes and was meet by an amusing sight as he came back into the main room. Max was attempting to shoot pool but he was failing miserably. "Let me show you." Merrick said as he grabbed the balls out of the pockets and set them back in their holder. Then Max's first pool lesson began.

"Merrick, dude, you so have to teach me those trick shots." Max said many hours later as they walked into the temple of the Animarium.

"You have a long way to go before you're ready to do trick shots." Merrick told him. Several small lights, very much like fireflies, came out of the fountain and Shayla appeared.

"I'm glad you were able to come tonight." she whispered, hugging Merrick tightly.

"I wouldn't have missed it unless I had no choice." he assured her.

"Um guys." Alyssa said, nodding past them. The fountain was erupting like a miniature geyser.

"It's an org." Cole hissed.

"Stay here, we'll be back as soon as we can." Merrick told Shayla.

The org in question had decided to appear close to the Turtle Cove University and the Rangers were soon to follow. "Hello Rangers." a sickly sweet voice cackled out at them.

"What are you?" Taylor asked. The org was oddly skinny and seemed to be made entirely of wheels and metal bars.

"I'm Bicycle Org." it announced.

"Whatever you are, we don't have time to play around with you." Merrick snarled as he drew his Lunar Cue from his side. The other Rangers immediately jumped into action. Cole struck out with with Red Lion Fang with Alyssa's White Tiger Baton and Max's Fighting Fins close behind him. Taylor and Danny quickly followed their team mates with her Eagle Sword and his Bison Axe. Merrick fought at a distance with his Lunar Cue in Sniper mode. Then something happened that no one expected: a dagger flew from the shadows and cut through the wheel that formed the Org's head, effectively destroying it.

"What was that?" Danny asked.

"You're on my turf Rangers!" a voice shouted.

"Who are you?" Cole demanding, catching sight of the figure standing above them on a staircase.

"That's not something you need to worry about, just know the University and it's surrounding area are all my territory." the figure told them. Merrick took a step forward to get a better look at the figure. It was definitely a Ranger and female judging by the curves. The color of the uniform or the animal it was focused on was impossible to see in the darkness but the helmet had ears much like his own.

"You're a Ranger like us!" Merrick shouted up at her.

The helmet turned towards him and he heard a cold laugh float down towards them. "I'm not like you. Not a damn bit." she growled. Power rolled off this strange ranger in waves. "Come around here again and my daggers will be aimed at all you next." she snarled before jumping up onto a rooftop.

"Wait!" Merrick snapped, taking a running leap to land on the staircase, then on a balcony and then the same rooftop. Unfortunately the strange ranger was gone. His few seconds getting up to the roof has been enough to let her slip away. He turned his face to the wind but felt nothing, nor could he find a scent anywhere nearby.

"Merrick!" Cole called.

"What is it?" he shouted back then remembered they were on a bit of a schedule.

The rest of the night was uneventful, though the lunar eclipse was beautiful. The younger rangers slipped into sleep easily but Merrick did not. "Merrick?" Shayla whispered.

"I'll be fine, I just need time to think. I might go sit with my wolf zord for a bit." he told her softly.

"Alright, I'll be in my fountain." she told him, then disappeared in a shower of light.

"Who was that strange ranger?" Merrick whispered, staring into the fire. Oddly enough the stranger reminded him of himself: wild, powerful, dangerous, territorial. One thing he couldn't stop focusing on about the ranger was that for a second he thought he had seen a tail swishing lazily near her leg. However when he had blinked, it was gone so he couldn't be sure. The stranger made him curious and at the same time: concerned the safety of Shayla, himself and everyone he was close to.


End file.
